Of love and mischief
I do not own The Avengers in any way.
Loki had been brought back to Asgard for punishment. He was under house arrest in his spacious room. He hadn't spoken word since they brought him back.
"Brother, please say something", Thor begged Loki.
Loki said nothing.
Thor went to Odin and said, "Loki still says nothing".
"I have a plan", Odin said.
"Out of everything the great Odin could come up with, you send in a child", Loki sneered.
"Your punishment is to learn to entertain this child with innocent intentions", Odin said, leaving the girl on the floor.
Loki observed the little girl.
She looked like a toddler, as the mortals called it, around the age of 3.
Loki rolled his eyes and rolled over on his bed, facing away from the child. He was nearly asleep when he felt a shock on his leg. "INSOLENT LITTLE…!" he yelled. He noticed the girl had tears in her eyes.
It puzzled Loki.
He loved to cause mischief to everyone, but it pained him to see a mere child cower in fear of him. "I'm sorry love", he said softly, "I did not mean to frighten you".
The girl sniffled.
Loki picked her up and placed her on the bed.
Her big blue eyes stared into his green ones.
He noticed she was sucking on her thumb. He grabbed her little hand and said, "You shouldn't do that love". He felt a shock again, this time in his hand. He frowned. "Are you doing that?" he asked.
She nodded her head, her chocolate brown curls bouncing.
"That's a very special thing you have there", he told her.
A big smile spread across her lips.
Loki couldn't help but smile back at her. He thought about what Odin had said. He conjured a small tiara.
The girl's eyes went wide.
Loki placed it on her head and said, "There. Now you're an Asgardian princess".
The girl smiled again.
He decided to try something else. He conjured up a mortal candy.
The girl giggled and clapped her hands.
Loki conjured one for himself and he popped it into his mouth.
The girl was struggling to open her own sweet.
"Let me do that love", he said. He unwrapped the candy.
The girl opened her mouth, but Loki placed it in her hand.
"You can feed yourself love", he said.
She put it in her mouth.
The two just sat in silence as they ate their candy.
"What is your name love?" Loki asked the young girl.
She frowned as if she didn't understand the question.
"I'm Loki", he said, "And you are?"
The girl didn't answer him.
He sighed.
This was going to be a long punishment.
The next day, the girl was brought to his room again.
"Hello love", he said.
The girl smiled at him. She climbed onto Loki's bed.
Around noon, a servant came in with sandwiches.
The two quietly munched on their lunch.
The girl finished hers first.
"Are you done love?" Loki asked.
She nodded, but her stomach growled.
Loki just smirked and ripped his sandwich in half and handed it her. "You can have some of mine love", he said.
She accepted it with a smile.
The next few days went the same as the first.
She was brought to his room, they (well Loki) would talk, and they would each lunch together.
Today, the girl sat in the middle of the room playing with some wooden horses Loki had been able to get his hands on.
Loki layed on his bed reading a book. He felt his bed bounce and noticed the girl had jumped up on the bed.
She snuggled into his side and listened as he read aloud from his book.
A few hours later, Loki had noticed she had fallen asleep with her thumb in her mouth. Loki decided to just let her remain that way.
The very next day, when the girl was brought to his room, Loki stood in a light coat and scarf.
"We're going to the gardens today", he told her.
She took hold of his hand.
Everyone thought it was odd to see Loki hand-in-hand with a small child, idly chatting with her, pointing things out in the palace etc.
They made it to the gardens.
Loki kept a close eye on her as she ran around.
At one point, he couldn't find her.
"Love?" he called. He saw her run across the courtyard. He caught her and she burst out into laughter. "Don't run off again love", he told her.
Of course, like small children always do, she did exactly what Loki told her not to. She ran around the courtyard, but she fell and scraped her knee.
Loki rushed over.
The girl had tears in her eyes and her bottom lip was trembling.
Loki waved his hand and the wound disappeared. He leaned down and lightly kissed her knee where the scrape had been. "There. All better, love", he said.
"Brother, I must speak with you", Thor's voice said.
The girl was frightened by Thor and hid behind Loki.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, love", Loki told her, but she didn't believe Loki.
"Whatever you need to talk to me about, you can say in front of her", Loki said.
Thor looked not so sure.
Loki sighed and said, "Love, run along ahead, but don't go too far".
She did as she was told.
"Why were you so kind to her?" Thor asked.
"She's a child, brother. She's done nothing to me. Don't turn this moment into a, 'what did the mortals ever do to you?' She's innocent, pure, so easily entertained by small magic tricks", Loki told him.
Thor smiled and said, "It is nice to have you back to your normal self, brother".
"I am glad you are back, my son", Frigga said.
"Mother, could love come to dinner tonight?" Loki asked.
"Who?" she asked.
"The little girl. I don't know her name and she won't tell me", Loki explained.
"We must come up with one then. Love is not an acceptable name for a little girl", Frigga said, "What about Caru? It means love in Welsh".
"Caru", Loki said, testing the name, "It's perfect".
Dinner was at 7, so there was plenty of time to get Caru ready.
"Love, stop moving", Loki said as he tried to tie the back of her dress up.
Loki and Caru headed down to the dining hall. Loki picked her up and placed her in the chair. He sat right next to her.
Odin was shocked at how sweet and kind was being with the little girl.
"Mother, is there any way to adopt Caru?" Loki asked, "I think I love her. Like a father would a daughter".
"Her father is dead and her mother ran away to another realm", Frigga told him, "It may be possible. Let me speak to your father".
*13 years later*
"Come on dad!" Caru said.
"Calm down love", Loki told her.
"But I'm to become a goddess today! Aren't you excited for me?" she asked.
"Of course I am love", he said.
Caru was crowned Goddess of Love and Mischief.
The perfect tribute to her father, Loki.